Cutting insert, cutting tool, and method of producing machined product using the same

ABSTRACT

In a cutting insert according to an embodiment of the present invention, an upper surface sequentially includes a first rake surface and a second rake surface. The first rake surface being inclined toward the lower surface as going inward from the cutting edge at a first rake angle on a basis of a perpendicular plane perpendicular to a central axis extending between the upper surface and a lower surface. The second rake surface is located more inward than the first rake surface and is inclined toward the lower surface at a second rake angle different from the first rake angle on the basis of the perpendicular plane. An intersecting part of the first rake surface and the second rake surface includes a protruded part located at a highest position in a region of the intersecting part along the second side surface. A cutting tool with the cutting insert, and a method of producing a machined product by using the cutting tool are also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/443,111 filed on Feb. 27, 2017, which is a Continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/993,501 filed on Jan. 12, 2016 now issuedU.S. Pat. No. 9,604,292, which is a Continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/354,775 filed on Apr. 28, 2014 now U.S. Pat. No.9,272,342, which claims priority to PCT/JP2012/072037 filed on Aug. 30,2012, and to JP Patent Application No. 2011-239491 filed on Oct. 31,2011, which are included by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cutting insert, a cutting tool, and amethod of producing a machined product using the same.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, a configuration in which a rake surface, a step part,and a seating surface are sequentially located inwardly from a cornercutting edge has been proposed as a cutting plate for use in a facemilling process (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined PatentPublication No. 2004-314301).

However, when the cutting plate of Japanese Unexamined PatentPublication No. 2004-314301 is used, for example, under cuttingconditions that the depth of cut is small, such as in the case of finishcut, there is a risk that chips extending without being curled anddivided may damage a machined surface of a workpiece.

Hence, there is a need for an insert with excellent chip dischargeperformance in order to suppress quality deterioration of the machinedsurface of the workpiece due to the chips as described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a cutting insert and acutting tool each having the excellent chip discharge performance, aswell as a method of producing a machined product using the cuttinginsert and the cutting tool.

A cutting insert according to an embodiment of the present inventionincludes an upper surface, a lower surface, a side surface that isconnected to each of the upper surface and the lower surface, andsequentially includes a first side surface, a corner side surface, and asecond side surface, and a cutting edge. The cutting edge includes amajor cutting edge located at an intersecting part of the upper surfaceand the first side surface, a corner cutting edge located at anintersecting part of the upper surface and the corner side surface, anda minor cutting edge located at an intersecting part of the uppersurface and the second side surface. The upper surface sequentiallyincludes a first rake surface and a second rake surface. The first rakesurface is located along the cutting edge and is inclined toward thelower surface as going inward from the cutting edge at a first rakeangle on a basis of a perpendicular plane perpendicular to a centralaxis extending between the upper surface and the lower surface. Thesecond rake surface is located more inward than the first rake surfaceand is inclined toward the lower surface at a second rake angledifferent from the first rake angle on the basis of the perpendicularplane. An intersecting part of the first rake surface and the secondrake surface includes a protruded part located at a highest position ina region of the intersecting part extending along the second sidesurface.

A cutting tool according to an embodiment of the present inventionincludes the cutting insert of the foregoing embodiment, and a holderconfigured to attach the cutting insert to the holder.

A method of producing a machined product according to an embodiment ofthe present invention includes rotating the cutting tool according tothe foregoing embodiment, bringing the cutting edge of the cutting toolbeing rotated into contact with a workpiece, and separating the cuttingtool from the workpiece.

With the cutting insert according to the embodiment of the presentinvention, the upper surface sequentially includes the first rakesurface and the second rake surface. The first rake surface is locatedalong the cutting edge and is inclined toward the lower surface as goinginward from the cutting edge at the first rake angle on the basis of theperpendicular plane perpendicular to the central axis extending betweenthe upper surface and the lower surface. The second rake surface islocated more inward than the first rake surface and is inclined towardthe lower surface at the second rake angle different from the first rakeangle on the basis of the perpendicular plane. The intersecting part ofthe first rake surface and the second rake surface includes theprotruded part located at the highest position in the region of theintersecting part extending along the second side surface. Therefore,even under the cutting conditions that the corner cutting edge and theminor cutting edge are used mainly and the depth of cut is relativelysmall, generated chips can be stably curled by the high protruded partlocated in the region of the intersecting part extending along thesecond side surface, thereby exhibiting the excellent chip dischargeperformance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of a cutting insert according to anembodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1(b) is a plan view (top view)thereof; FIG. 1(c) is a side view taken in the direction of arrow X1 inFIG. 1(b) (illustrating a second side surface), FIG. 1(d) is a side viewtaken in the direction of arrow X2 in FIG. 1(b) (illustrating a firstside surface);

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are respectively side views illustrating anembodiment obtained by partially modifying the cutting insert of FIG. 1,which respectively correspond to enlarged views of FIG. 1(c), andrespectively illustrate modifications of the configuration of the firstside surface of the cutting insert shown in FIG. 1, this being also truefor FIGS. 5 and 12;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the cutting insert of FIG. 1, and is also anenlarged view of FIG. 1(d);

FIG. 4(a) is a side view of the cutting insert of FIG. 1, and is also anenlarged view of FIG. 1(d), and FIG. 4(b) is an enlarged cross-sectionalview taken along the line E-E of FIG. 4(a);

FIGS. 5(a) to 5(d) are respectively cross-sectional views illustratingan embodiment obtained by partially modifying the cutting insert of FIG.1, specifically, FIG. 5(a) is the cross-sectional view taken along theline C-C of FIG. 4(a), FIG. 5(b) is the cross-sectional view taken alongthe line B-B of FIG. 4(a), FIG. 5(c) is the cross-sectional view takenalong the line C-C of FIG. 4(a), and FIG. 5(d) is the cross-sectionalview taken along the line D-D of FIG. 4(a),

FIG. 6(a) is a plan view (top view) of the cutting insert of FIG. 1,FIG. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line a-a of FIG.6(a), FIG. 6(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line b-b ofFIG. 6(a), and FIG. 6(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the linec-c of FIG. 6(a);

FIG. 7(a) is a plan view (top view) of the cutting insert of FIG. 1,FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line d-d of FIG.7(a), FIG. 7(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line e-e ofFIG. 7(a), and FIG. 7(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the linef-f of FIG. 7(a);

FIG. 8(a) is a side view of a holder configured to attach thereto thecutting insert according to the embodiment of the present invention,FIG. 8(b) is a side view of the holder taken from a different angle fromthat of FIG. 8(a), that is, the side view obtained by turning FIG. 8(a)by 90°, namely, the side view when the FIG. 8(a) is viewed from below,and FIG. 8(c) is a front end view of the holder;

FIG. 9(a) is a perspective view of a cutting tool according to anembodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9(b) is a side viewthereof;

FIG. 10(a) is a partially enlarged view illustrating in enlargeddimension a front end part of the cutting tool of FIG. 9(b), and FIG.10(b) is a front end view thereof;

FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c) are respectively perspective views showing a methodof producing a machined product according to an embodiment of thepresent invention in the process sequence thereof; and

FIG. 12 is a side view which shows an embodiment obtained by partiallymodifying the cutting insert of FIG. 1, and which corresponds to anenlarged view of FIG. 1(d).

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION <Cutting Insert>

A cutting insert (hereinafter generally referred to as an “insert”)according to an embodiment of the present invention is described indetail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

As shown in FIG. 1, the insert 1 of the present embodiment generallyincludes an upper surface 2, a lower surface 3, a side surface 4connected to each of the upper surface 2 and the lower surface 3, athrough hole 6 extending between the upper surface 2 and the lowersurface 3, and a cutting edge 5 located at an intersecting part of theupper surface 2 and the side surface 4. The upper surface 2 includes arake surface 8 and a flat surface 21. The side surface 4 includes afirst side surface 41, a corner side surface 43, and a second sidesurface 42. The cutting edge 5 includes a major cutting edge 51, acorner cutting edge 53, and a minor cutting edge 52. The individualcomponents of the insert 1 are sequentially described below.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), the insert 1 has an approximately quadrangularshape (approximately rectangular shape) in a top view. Unless otherwisestated below, the term “top view” denotes a condition in which theinsert 1 is viewed from the upper surface 2. The shape of the insert 1is not limited to the approximately quadrangular shape. The insert 1 mayhave a plate shape of an approximately polygonal shape, such astriangle, pentagon, hexagon, and octagon, in the top view.

For example, the insert 1 may be configured so that each long side ofthe approximately quadrangular shape measures approximately 8-15 mm andeach short side thereof measures approximately 4-8 mm in the top view. Athickness from the upper surface 2 to the lower surface 3 may beapproximately 3-7 mm. The term “thickness” denotes a line segmentparallel to a central axis S1 of the insert 1 in a distance from aportion of the upper surface 2 that is located uppermost to a portion ofthe lower surface 3 that is located lowermost in a side view. Unlessotherwise stated below, the term “side view” denotes a condition inwhich the insert 1 is viewed toward the first side surface 41. The term“central axis S1 of the insert 1” denotes the axis that extends betweenthe upper surface 2 and the lower surface 3, and serves as a rotationaxis when the insert 1 is rotated in the top view.

Similarly to the case of the upper surface 2, as shown in FIG. 1(a), theinsert 1 also includes a cutting edge 5A having a major cutting edge 51Aand a minor cutting edge 52A, at an intersecting part of the lowersurface 3 and the side surface 4. When a cutting process is performedusing the major cutting edge 51A close to the lower surface 3, the flatsurface 21 of the upper surface 2 is usable as a seating surface to aholder 10 described later. That is, with the insert 1 of the presentembodiment, the upper surface 2 and the lower surface 3 are individuallyusable for the cutting process. Therefore, in order to ensure the use ofthe insert 1 in a vertically inverted state, the major cutting edge 51Aclose to the lower surface 3 has a shape obtained by inverting the majorcutting edge 51 close to the upper surface 2.

That is, the insert 1 has rotational symmetry around a line normal tothe paper surface of FIG. 1(c). Hence, with the insert 1 of the presentembodiment, the cutting process is performable using a total of fourcorners, namely, two on each of the upper surface 2 and the lowersurface 3. Thus, a portion of the side surface 4 configured to disposethe major cutting edge 51 and a portion of the side surface 4 configuredto dispose the minor cutting edge 52 are respectively independentlyconfigured as the first side surface 41 and the second side surface 42.This configuration makes it relatively easy to design a suitableconfiguration for the major cutting edge 51 and the rake surface 8located on the upper surface 2 along the major cutting edge 51, and asuitable configuration for a flank surface (a second upper constrainingsurface 42 a) with respect to the minor cutting edge 52. The individualcomponents of the insert 1 according to the present embodiment aredescribed in further detail below.

(Cutting Edges)

The cutting edge 5 is the located at the intersecting part of the uppersurface 2 and the side surface 4, and includes the major cutting edge 51and the minor cutting edge 52. In the present embodiment, the majorcutting edge 51 and the minor cutting edge 52 are connected to eachother with the corner cutting edge 53 interposed therebetween as shownin FIG. 1(b). The insert 1 of the present embodiment is capable ofperforming the cutting process by using a corner including the majorcutting edge 51, the minor cutting edge 52, and the corner cutting edge53.

The major cutting edge 51 is located at an intersecting part of theupper surface 2 and the first side surface 41, and functions mainly togenerate chips in a cutting action. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the majorcutting edge 51 has a gentle convex-shaped curve line in an outwarddirection as going away from the minor cutting edge 52 in the top view.As shown in FIG. 1(d), the major cutting edge 51 is inclined downward asgoing away from the minor cutting edge 52 in the side view. The formerstructure ensures reduction of cutting edge fracture of the majorcutting edge 51, and the latter structure ensures reduction of cuttingresistance during the cutting process. An inclination angle of the majorcutting edge 51 in the side view is gradually decreased as going awayfrom the minor cutting edge 52. The inclination angle of the majorcutting edge 51 in the side view may reach zero at the end portion ofthe major cutting edge 51 that is farthest from the minor cutting edge52.

The minor cutting edge 52 is located at an intersecting part of theupper surface 2 and the second side surface 42, and functions tosmoothen a finished surface 102 of a workpiece 100 described later. Inthe present embodiment, it is preferable to use mainly, during thecutting process, a region of the intersecting part of the upper surface2 and the second side surface 42. The region extends from an end portionof the intersecting part close to the major cutting edge 51 (cornercutting edge 53) to a middle portion of the intersecting part.

In the present embodiment, the minor cutting edge 52 has a straight lineshape in the top view as shown in FIG. 1(b). The minor cutting edge 52is inclined toward the lower surface 3 as going away from the cornercutting edge 53 in the side view taken from the second side surface 42as shown in FIG. 1(c). More specifically, the minor cutting edge 52 isinclined downward in the straight line shape as going from one end ofthe minor cutting edge 52 close to the major cutting edge 51 (cornercutting edge 53) to the other end spaced away from the major cuttingedge 51 (corner cutting edge 53) in the side view taken from the secondside surface 42. An inclination angle of the minor cutting edge 52 ispreferably set to 6° to 13° on a basis of a plane perpendicular to thecentral axis S1 in the side view taken from the second side surface 42.The portion close to the one end functions mainly to smoothen thefinished surface 102 of the workpiece 100.

Thus, the minor cutting edge 52 is formed of the single straight line soas to eliminate a projected portion, such as a highest point, in thedirection from one end to the other end. This configuration reduces theprobability that when the chips generated during the cutting processusing the cutting edges 51 to 53 close to the one corner side surface 43are discharged through the upper surface 2 (rake surface 8), the chipscollide with the minor cutting edge 52P among the major cutting edge51P, the corner cutting edge 53P, and the minor cutting edge 52P closeto another corner side surface 43P described later. It is thereforeensured to reduce damage to the non-used minor cutting edge 52P. Inanother embodiment, the minor cutting edge 52 may have a gentle circulararc shape in the side view taken from the second side surface 42.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), the corner cutting edge 53 is located at anintersecting part of the upper surface 2 and a corner side surface 43,and functions to reduce fracture of the cutting edge at an intersectingpart of the major cutting edge and the minor cutting edge 52. In thepresent embodiment, the corner cutting edge 53 is disposed between themajor cutting edge 51 and the minor cutting edge 52, and has arelatively gentle curved line shape.

(Upper Surface)

As shown in FIG. 1(a), the upper surface 2 includes a rake surface 8 anda flat surface 21. The rake surface 8 is located along the cutting edge5 and is inclined downward as going away from the cutting edge 5. Theflat surface 21 is located at a portion that lies on the circumferenceof the through hole 6 and is spaced apart from the cutting edge 5. Theflat surface 21 is at least partially located above the major cuttingedge 51.

The rake surface 8 is to be contacted with the chips generated by themajor cutting edge 51 during the cutting process so as to deform thechips or change a chip flow direction, thus allowing the chips to besmoothly discharged outside. The rake surface 8 may include a planarsurface shape portion or curved surface shape portion. The term “planarsurface shape” includes not only a strict planar surface but also oneshaving somewhat irregularities and curvature as long as the rake surface8 can perform the above-mentioned function. This is also true for thecase of having the curved surface shape.

The flat surface 21 functions as a seating surface when the insert 1 isattached to the holder 10.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rake surface 8sequentially includes a first rake surface 81 and a second rake surface82. The first rake surface 81 is located along the cutting edge 5 and isinclined toward the lower surface 3 as going inward from the cuttingedge 5 at a first rake angle θ1 on the basis of a perpendicular plane S1b perpendicular to the central axis S1 extending between the uppersurface 2 and the lower surface 3. The second rake surface 82 is locatedmore inward than the first rake surface 81 and is inclined toward thelower surface 3 at a second rake angle θ2 different from the first rakeangle θ1 on the basis of the perpendicular plane S1 b. An intersectingpart 83 of the first rake surface 81 and the second rake surface 82includes a protruded portion 831 located at the highest position in aregion of the intersecting part 83 extending along the second sidesurface 42. With this configuration, the generated chips can be curledstably by the high protruded portion 831 located on the region along thesecond side surface 42 even under cutting conditions that the cornercutting edge 53 and the minor cutting edge 52 are used mainly and thedepth of cut is relatively small. This configuration ensures theexcellent chip discharge performance.

The term “inward” denotes being located inside the insert 1 with respectto the cutting edge 5 and being located close to the through hole 6 (thecentral axis S1). The term “highest position” denotes being large interms of height on the basis of the perpendicular plane S1 b, namely, interms of distance in the direction of the central axis S1 of the insert1. The second rake angle θ2 of the second rake surface 82 may bepartially identical to the first rake angle θ1 of the first rake surface81.

In the present embodiment, the protruded portion 831 is located closerto the corner side surface 43 than a midpoint 42A of the second sidesurface 42 in the top view as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(c). Thisconfiguration ensures effective curling of the chips generated under thecutting conditions that the depth of cut is small as described above.

In the present embodiment, the first rake angle θ1 of the first rakesurface 81 reaches a minimum at a portion thereof passing through theprotruded portion 831 as shown in FIG. 6(c). This configuration makes iteasier to create a difference in height between this portion and theportion located closer to the corner cutting edge 53 of the rake surface8 particularly than the protruded portion 831.

In the present embodiment, the second rake angle θ2 of the second rakesurface 82 is decreased as going from the corner cutting edge 53 to themajor cutting edge 51 side as shown in FIG. 7. This configuration allowsthe second rake surface 82 to ensure a thickness on the first endportion 8 a as shown in FIG. 1(a), thereby reducing damage to the majorcutting edge 51 in a region subjected to a large depth of cut. The firstend portion 8 a corresponds to one of both end portions of the rakesurface 8 located along the major cutting edge 51, which is locatedfurther away from the minor cutting edge 52. A later-described secondend portion 8 b is one of both end portions of the rake surface 8located along the major cutting edge 51, which is located close to theminor cutting edge 52.

In the present embodiment, the first rake angle θ1 of the first rakesurface 81 and the second rake angle θ2 of the second rake surface 82include region in which a reversal of values occurs between the cornercutting edge 53 side and the major cutting edge 51 side as shown in FIG.7. In the present embodiment, the angles θ1 and θ2 have a relationshipof θ1<θ2 in FIG. 7(b), a relationship of θ1<θ2 in FIG. 7(c), and arelationship of θ1>θ2 in FIG. 7(d). That is, the first rake angle θ1 andthe second rake angle θ2 are subject to the reversal of values as goingaway from the corner cutting edge 53. This configuration ensures thatthe second rake surface 82 has a small inward-oriented width on thesecond end portion 8 b in the top view, thereby ensuring a large area ofthe flat surface 21 so as to enhance attachment stability to the holder.This configuration also ensures a certain thickness on the first endportion 8 a so as to reduce damage to the major cutting edge 51 in theregion subjected to the large depth of cut. Alternatively, arelationship that the first rake angle θ1 is smaller than the secondrake angle θ2 may be retained instead of the reversal of values betweenthe above-mentioned portions.

In the present embodiment, the first rake angle θ1 of the first rakesurface 81 is subject to less variation than the second rake angle θ2 ofthe second rake surface 82 in the region from the first side surface 41to the corner side surface 43 as shown in FIG. 7.

The rake surface 8 may be continuous with the major cutting edge 51 ordisposed with a so-called land surface (land part) interposedtherebetween. The term “land surface” denotes a narrow belt-shapedsurface with a constant width disposed along the cutting edge 5 on theupper surface 2. The land surface is disposed for the purpose ofreducing fracture of the cutting edge 5. In the present embodiment, theupper surface 2 further includes the land surface 22 disposed betweenthe cutting edge 5 and the first rake surface 81 as shown in FIGS. 6 and7. The land surface 22 lies over the whole periphery of the insert 1.

The land surface 22 may be flat, or inclined as going inward from thecutting edge 5 in a direction toward the lower surface 3 or in adirection away from the lower surface 3 at a land angle θ3 on the basisof the perpendicular plane S1 b. The land angle θ3 is determined asbeing plus (+) when the land surface 22 is inclined toward the lowersurface 3, and as being minus (−) when the land surface 22 is inclinedin the direction away from the lower surface 3, on the basis of theperpendicular plane S1 b. In the present embodiment, the land surface 22is inclined toward the lower surface 3 as going inward from the cuttingedge 5 at the land angle θ3 on the basis of the perpendicular plane S1b. That is, in the present embodiment, the land angle θ3 is plus, andthe land angle θ3 is smaller than the first rake angle θ1 of the firstrake surface 81.

With the present embodiment, the upper surface 2 and the lower surface 3have the same configuration, and hence the description of the lowersurface 3 is omitted in the following unless a special description isneeded.

(Through Hole)

The through hole 6 is the hole configured to insert a clamp screw and anattachment bolt when the insert 1 is attached to the holder 10. In thepresent embodiment, the through hole 6 is located in a central part ofthe upper surface 2, and the central axis of the through hole 6 and thecentral axis S1 of the insert 1 exist in the same position.

(Side Surface)

The side surface 4 is connected to each of the upper surface 2 and thelower surface 3 as described above. The side surface 4 includes a firstside surface 41 and a second side surface 42 adjacent to each other. Thefirst side surface 41 and the second side surface 42 respectivelyinclude a plurality of constraining surfaces described later. Accordingto an attachment direction with respect to the holder 10, the individualconstraining surfaces function as an attachment surface to the holder10, or as a so-called flank surface for avoiding contact with theworkpiece 100.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the side surface 4further includes a corner side surface 43 that is disposed between thefirst side surface 41 and the second side surface 42, and is curvedoutward in the top view. That is, the side surface 4 sequentiallyincludes the first side surface 41, the corner side surface 43, and thesecond side surface 42.

The insert 1 of the present embodiment has the rectangular shape whoselong sides correspond to an outer edge close to the first side surface41 and short sides correspond to an outer edge close to the second sidesurface 42 in the top view. An end portion 52 a of the minor cuttingedge 52 spaced apart from the corner cutting edge 53 is located closerto the corner cutting edge 53 than a midpoint 42 a of each of the shortsides.

As described above, the insert 1 of the present embodiment has therectangular shape whose long sides correspond to the outer edge close tothe first side surface 41 and short sides correspond to the outer edgeclose to the second side surface 42 in the top view. Therefore, a thirdside surface 41P to be paired with the first side surface 41 is locatedon the opposite side, and a fourth side surface 42P to be paired withthe second side surface 42 is located on the opposite side. The thirdside surface 41P and the fourth side surface 42P respectively have thesame structure as the first side surface 41 and the second side surface42. Therefore, the descriptions of the first side surface 41 and thesecond side surface 42 are applicable to the descriptions of the thirdside surface 41P and the fourth side surface 42P in the following unlessa special description is needed. This is also true for another cornerside surface 43P to be paired with the corner side surface 43.

In the insert 1 of the present embodiment, a distance (width) W1 fromthe first side surface 41 to the third side surface 41P in the top viewshown in FIG. 1(b) is larger than a distance (thickness) W2 from theupper surface 2 to the lower surface 3 in the side view shown in FIGS.1(c) and (d). That is, the insert 1 of the present embodiment is aso-called lateral insert. The insert 1 is to be attached to the holder10 by using the clamp screw 61 to be inserted into the through hole 6 asdescribed later. With this configuration, the insert 1 has a large widthso as to ensure that the rake surface 8 has desired size and shape,thereby improving the chip discharge performance. Additionally, theclamp screw 61 is to be inserted into the through hole 6. Thisconfiguration eliminates the need to increase the thickness of theinsert 1 than necessary, thus reducing material costs.

As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 3, the first side surface 41 sequentiallyincludes a first upper constraining surface 41 a and a first lowerconstraining surface 41 b in a direction from the upper surface 2 to thelower surface 3. The first upper constraining surface 41 a is inclinedoutward at an inclination angle β1 on the basis of the central axis S1.The first lower constraining surface 41 b is continuous with the firstupper constraining surface 41 a and is inclined inward at an inclinationangle β2. When the cutting process is performed using the major cuttingedge 51P located close to the third side surface 41P, the first upperconstraining surface 41 a is brought into contact with the holder 10,thereby functioning to fix the insert 1 to the holder 10, and viceversa.

As shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 3, the first side surface 41 includes a firstupper reinforcement surface 41 c that is located between the majorcutting edge 51 and the first upper constraining surface 41 a, and has aportion inclined as going from the upper surface 2 to the lower surface3 at an inclination angle β3 on the basis of the central axis S1. Theinclination angle β3 of the first upper reinforcement surface 41 c islarger than the inclination angle β1 of the first upper constrainingsurface 41 a.

Similarly, the first side surface 41 includes a first lowerreinforcement surface 41 d that is located between the major cuttingedge 51A close to the lower surface 3 and the first lower constrainingsurface 41 b, and is inclined as going from the upper surface 2 to thelower surface 3 at an inclination angle β4 on the basis of the centralaxis S1. The inclination angle β4 of the first lower reinforcementsurface 41 d is larger than the inclination angle β2 of the first lowerconstraining surface 41 b.

The term “inclination angle θ1” denotes an angle formed by a plane S1 aparallel to the central axis S1 and a virtual extension line L1 of thefirst upper constraining surface 41 a. The term “inclination angle β2”denotes an angle formed by the plane S1 a and a virtual extension lineL2 of the first lower constraining surface 41 b. The term “inclinationangle β3” denotes an angle formed by the plane S1 a and a virtualextension line L3 of the first upper reinforcement surface 41 c. Theterm “inclination angle β4” denotes an angle formed by the plane S1 aand a virtual extension line L4 of the first lower reinforcement surface41 d. The individual inclination angles are indicated by an absolutevalue on the basis of the central axis S1.

The insert 1 of the present embodiment has a relationship that theinclination angle β1 equals to the inclination angle β2, and also has arelationship that the inclination angle β3 equals to the inclinationangle β4. For example, the inclination angles β1 and β2 are respectivelypreferably set to 3° to 5°, and the inclination angles β3 and β4 arerespectively preferably set to 4° to 7°. Each of these inclinationangles may be changed as going away from the minor cutting edge 52.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first upperreinforcement surface 41 c includes a first region 41 cA close to theminor cutting edge 52 (corner cutting edge 53), and a second region 41cB spaced apart from the minor cutting edge 52 (corner cutting edge 53).The first region 41 cA and the second region 41 cB differ from eachother in configuration. In FIG. 5, the straight line S1 b isperpendicular to the central axis S1 and passes through the center in athickness direction of the insert 1.

To be specific, the first upper reinforcement surface 41 c is inclinedoutward in the first region 41 cA as going from the upper surface 2 tothe lower surface 3 as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b). More specifically,the first upper reinforcement surface 41 c has a shape that bulgesoutward as going from the upper surface 2 to the lower surface 3. In thepresent embodiment, the region shown in FIG. 5(c) has a similar shape.

As shown in FIG. 5(d), in the second region 41 cB, an upper region 41 c1 of the first upper reinforcement surface 41 c, which is continuouswith the major cutting edge 51, is inclined inward with respect to thecentral axis S1 of the insert 1. A lower region 41 c 2 of the upperregion 41 c 1, which is continuous with the lower surface 3, is inclinedoutward as going further toward the lower surface 3. More specifically,the lower region 41 c 2 has a shape that bulges outward as going furthertoward the lower surface 3.

Thus, the upper region 41 c 1 of the first upper reinforcement surface41 c is inclined inward with respect to the central axis S1 of theinsert 1. Accordingly, when the holder 10 with the insert 1 attachedthereto is rotated around a rotation axis S2 of the holder 10, aclearance between the upper region 41 c 1 and a wall surface 101 of theworkpiece 100 can be ensured to effectively reduce damage to the wallsurface 101 of the workpiece 100. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the same istrue for the relationship between the upper region 41 d 1 and the lowerregion 41 d 2 of the first lower reinforcement surface 41 d.

The first side surface 41 further includes a first flank surface 41 e.The first flank surface 41 e is located below the major cutting edge 51and closer to the second side surface 42 than both of the first upperreinforcement surface 41 c and the first upper constraining surface 41a, and is inclined outward as going from the upper surface 2 to thelower surface 3 at an inclination angle y on the basis of the centralaxis S1. The inclination angle y (not shown) of the first flank surface41 e is smaller than the inclination angle β3 of the first upperreinforcement surface 41 c. Owing to the first flank surface 41 e, thecontact with a portion of the workpiece 100 that becomes the wallsurface 101 of the workpiece 100 during the cutting process can bereduced to improve machining accuracy and reduce damage to the insert 1.In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the first flank surface41 e extends not only below the major cutting edge 51 as describedabove, but also below the corner cutting edge 53. Consequently, asimilar effect is also attainable on the corner cutting edge 53.

In the insert 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1(d) and4(a), a boundary part 41 g of the first upper constraining surface 41 aand the first lower constraining surface 41 b has a straight line shapeand is inclined toward the lower surface 3 as going away from the minorcutting edge 52 with respect to a perpendicular line of the central axisS1 of the insert 1 in the side view. The boundary part 41 g is locatedoutermost of the first side surface 41. The boundary part 41 g has abelt shape with a relatively large width, and has a curved surface shapeprotruding outward as going from one end to the other end in the widthdirection. This configuration ensures a relatively large area of thefirst upper constraining surface 41 a and the first lower constrainingsurface 41 b, and also ensures smooth loading of a material into a moldwhen molding the insert 1. A radius of curvature of a curved line ispreferably set to, for example, 0.1 to 0.5 mm. In another embodiment,the boundary part 41 g may have a curved line shape partially or overthe full length thereof in the side view.

The first side surface 41 of the present embodiment includes portions(surfaces) 41 a 1 and 41 a 2 and portions (surfaces) 41 b 1 and 41 b 2,which are respectively obtained by dividing the first upper constrainingsurface 41 a and the first lower constraining surface 41 b into twoportions by a concave part 41 f located at an approximately middle partof the first side surface 41 as shown in FIGS. 1(d) and 4(a). That is,the first upper constraining surface 41 a includes a first upperconstraining portion 41 a 1 and a second upper constraining portion 41 a2. The first lower constraining surface 41 b includes a first lowerconstraining portion 41 b 1 and a second lower constraining portion 41 b2. With this configuration, when the insert 1 is attached to the holder10, the two divided surfaces 41 a 1 and 41 a 2 and the two dividedsurfaces 41 b 1 and 41 b 2 are independently contacted with the holder10 with the concave part 41 f interposed therebetween. Therefore, evenwhen a slight misregistration occurs upon the attachment to the holder10, a relatively larger contact area with the holder 10 can be ensuredto improve the attachment stability to the holder 10 than the case ofbeing contacted through a single surface.

Particularly in the present embodiment, the three surfaces (41 a 1, 41 a2, and 42 a), including the second upper constraining surface 42 a (orthe second lower constraining surface 42 b) of the second side surface42, can be brought into contact with the holder 10, thus exhibiting theexcellent attachment stability.

The concave part 41 f is preferably inclined toward the minor cuttingedge 52 as going from the upper surface 2 to the lower surface 3 in theside view. This configuration allows the areas of the two dividedconstraining portions 41 a 1 and 41 a 2 (41 b 1 and 41 b 2) toapproximate each other. Consequently, a cutting force applied mainly tothe insert 1 during cutting of the workpiece 100 can be received by thetwo divided constraining portions 41 a 1 and 41 a 2 (41 b 1 and 41 b 2)in a well-balanced manner so as to improve the attachment stability. Adepth 41 f 1 of the concave part 41 f is preferably set to, for example,0.03 to 0.15 mm.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second side surface 42 sequentially includes asecond upper constraining surface 42 a and a second lower constrainingsurface 42 b in the direction from the upper surface 2 to the lowersurface 3. The second upper constraining surface 42 a is inclined inwardat an inclination angle α1 on the basis of the central axis S1. Thesecond lower constraining surface 42 b is continuous with the secondupper constraining surface 42 a and is inclined outward at aninclination angle α2 on the basis of the central axis S1. The term“inclination angle α1” denotes an angle formed by the plane S1 aparallel to the central axis S1 and a virtual extension line L5 of thesecond upper constraining surface 42 a. The term “inclination angle α2”denotes an angle formed by the plane S1 a and a virtual extension lineL6 of the second lower constraining surface 42 b.

The insert 1 of the present embodiment has a relationship that theinclination angle α1 equals to the inclination angle α2. For example,the inclination angles α1 and α2 are respectively preferably set to 4°to 8°. When the cutting process is performed using the minor cuttingedge 52P located close to the fourth side surface 42P, the second lowerconstraining surface 42 b of the second side surface 42 is brought intocontact with the holder 10, thereby functioning to fix the insert 1 tothe holder 10, and vice versa.

In the present embodiment, the second side surface 42 includes a secondupper reinforcement surface 42 c and a second lower reinforcementsurface 42 d as shown in FIGS. 1(c) and 1(d). The second upperreinforcement surface 42 c is located between the minor cutting edge 52and the second upper constraining surface 42 a, and is approximatelyparallel to the central axis S1. The second lower reinforcement surface42 d is located between the major cutting edge 51A close to the lowersurface 3 and the second lower constraining surface 42 b, and isapproximately parallel to the central axis 51.

That is, in the present embodiment, the second side surface 42sequentially includes the second upper reinforcement surface 42 c, thesecond upper constraining surface 42 a, the second lower constrainingsurface 42 b, and the second lower reinforcement surface 42 d as goingfrom the upper surface 2 to the lower surface 3. With thisconfiguration, the second side surface 42 is capable of reducing thecontact with the workpiece 100 during the cutting process owing to thesecond upper constraining surface 42 a and the second lower constrainingsurface 42 b. The second side surface 42 is also capable of exhibitingexcellent cutting edge strength owing to the second upper reinforcementsurface 42 c and the second lower reinforcement surface 42 d that areapproximately parallel to the central axis S1.

In the present embodiment, the lengths of the second upper reinforcementsurface 42 c and the second lower reinforcement surface 42 d in thethickness direction of the insert 1 are decreased as going away from thecorresponding major cutting edge 51 (corner cutting edge 53) accordingto the configuration that the minor cutting edge 52 is inclined in thestraight line shape as described above.

The insert 1 of the present embodiment having the foregoingconfigurations may be formed of a hard material, such as cementedcarbide, ceramic, or cermet, or one obtained by coating any one of thesebase materials with a hard film of TiC, TiN, TiCN, or Al₂O₃ by means ofPVD or CVD. PVD-coated cemented carbide is preferred from the viewpointof chipping resistance and the stability of a coating layer.

<Cutting Tool>

A cutting tool according to an embodiment of the present invention isdescribed below with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the cutting tool 20 of the presentembodiment is configured to attach a plurality of inserts 1 describedabove to outer peripheral front end portions of the holder 10.

To be specific, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of insert pockets 11 aredisposed at spaced intervals in a circumferential direction in the outerperipheral front end portions of the holder 10 of the presentembodiment. As shown in FIG. 8(c), the insert pockets 11 are theportions obtained by cutting out the outer peripheral front end portionsof the holder 10 in an approximately V shape in a front end view. Aplurality of attachment surfaces of the insert pockets 11, which areformed by cutting out, function as attachment portions of the inserts 1.The inserts 1 are respectively attached to the insert pockets 11 one byone.

A method of attaching the inserts 1 includes, for example, inserting aclamp screw 61 into each of the through holes 6 of the inserts 1, andscrewing a front end portion of the clamp screw 61 to a screw hole 12formed in each of the attachment surfaces of the holder 10. Anothermethod of attaching the inserts 1 includes, for example, a clampstructure.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10(b), the holder 10 (insert pockets) includes aseating surface 11 c to be contacted with the lower surface 3 of theinsert 1, and a first constraining surface 11 a (contact surface) to becontacted with the first upper constraining surface 41 a (third upperconstraining surface 41Pa) of the insert 1. An angle δ1 formed by avirtual extension line L7 of the seating surface 11 c and a virtualextension line L8 of the first constraining surface 11 a is an acuteangle.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10(a), the holder 10 (insert pockets) includes asecond constraining surface 11 b (contact surface) to be contacted withthe second lower constraining surface 42 b (fourth lower constrainingsurface 42Pb) of the insert 1. An angle δ2 formed by the virtualextension line L7 of the seating surface 11 c and a virtual extensionline L9 of the second constraining surface 11 b is an acute angle.

Each of the inserts 1 is attached to the holder 11 in a state that theupper surface 2 is oriented forward in a rotation direction indicated byarrow I of FIG. 10 so as to allow the major cutting edge 51 to projectbeyond the outer periphery of the holder 10. Then, the first sidesurface 41 and the second side surface 42 are located close to the outerperiphery of the front end of the holder 10, and the cutting process forthe workpiece 100 is performed using the major cutting edge 51 and theminor cutting edge 52.

The surface of the side surface 4 of the insert 1, which do notcontribute to the cutting action, namely, the third side surface 41P andthe fourth side surface 42P are respectively contacted with the contactsurfaces of the holder 10. That is, the fourth lower constrainingsurface 42Pb of the fourth side surface 42P is contacted with the secondconstraining surface 11 b of the holder 10 as shown by the regionsurrounded by a broken line 21 in FIG. 10(a). The third upperconstraining surface 41Pa of the third side surface 41P is contactedwith the first constraining surface 11 a of the holder 10 as shown bythe region surrounded by a broken line 22 in FIG. 10(b). Consequently,the insert 1 and the holder 10 are mutually constrained so that theinsert 1 is attached to the holder 10.

Hence, according to the cutting tool 20 of the present embodiment, asshown in FIG. 10(b), relatively large cutting force exerted on the majorcutting edge 51 close to the first side surface 41 during the cuttingprocess acts as force (buoyant force) by which the third side surface41P of the insert 1 is lifted from the holder 10 in an arrowed directionY1 via the clamp screw 61 inserted into the through hole 6. However,with the configuration that the angle δ1 is the acute angle, the thirdupper constraining surface 41Pa of the third side surface 41P on whichthe buoyant force occurs can be pressed from above by the firstconstraining surface 11 a of the holder 10, thereby effectivelyconstraining the insert 1.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), relatively small cutting force exerted on theminor cutting edge 52 close to the second side surface 42 acts as force(buoyant force) by which the fourth side surface 42P of the insert 1 islifted from the holder 10 in an arrowed direction Y2 via the clamp screw61 inserted into the through hole 6. However, with the configurationthat the angle δ2 is the acute angle, the fourth lower constrainingsurface 42Pb of the fourth side surface 42P on which the buoyant forceoccurs can be pressed from above by the second constraining surface 11 bof the holder 10, thereby effectively constraining the insert 1. Thus,the cutting tool 20 of the present embodiment is capable of generatingappropriate constraining force according to the position subjected tothe cutting force and the magnitude of the cutting force, therebyimproving the stability of constraint of the insert 1 and the holder 10.

Additionally, with the cutting tool 20 of the present embodiment, it isensured to improve the degree of freedom for the attachment of theforegoing inserts 1 to the holder 10, and to obtain excellent operationadvantage based thereon. That is, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the majorcutting edge 51 is disposed so as to have a positive axial rake angleδ3. This configuration ensures reduction of cutting resistance. Thesecond upper constraining surface 42 a of the second side surface 42 isdisposed so as to have a clearance angle δ4 of approximately 8° to 15°.This configuration ensures reduction of damage to the second upperconstraining surface 42 a, and also ensures improvement of surfaceroughness of the finished surface 102 of the workpiece 100.

The axial rake angle δ3 of the major cutting edge 51 preferably reachesapproximately 8° to 15° at the end portion thereof close to the minorcutting edge 52, and is preferably decreased as going away from theminor cutting edge 52. The term “axial rake angle δ3” denotes aninclination angle with respect to a plane S2 a parallel to the rotationaxis S2 of the holder 10. The term “clearance angle δ4” denotes aninclination angle with respect to a plane S2 b perpendicular to therotation axis S2 of the holder 10.

In the present embodiment, the insert 1 is disposed so that thelongitudinal direction thereof has an inclination of approximately 2° to6° with respect to the rotation axis S2 of the holder 10 in the sideview. Accordingly, the minor cutting edge 52 is disposed so as to havean inclination of approximately 0° to 1° with respect to the plane S2 bperpendicular to the rotation axis S2 of the holder 10.

A non-cutting region of the intersecting part of the upper surface 2 andthe second side surface 42, which is not substantially used as the minorcutting edge 52, namely, the region surrounded by a broken line 23 shownin FIG. 10(a), in other words, the region extending from a middle partof the intersecting part to the end portion thereof opposite the cornercutting edge 53 is preferably disposed so as to have an inclination ofapproximately 0° to 2° with respect to the plane S2 b perpendicular tothe rotation axis S2 of the holder 10. With this configuration, thenon-cutting region is spaced apart from the finished surface 102 of theworkpiece 100 during the cutting process, and hence the contacttherebetween can be suppressed to reduce damage to the non-cuttingregion. That is, when the insert 1 is used by turning over the uppersurface 2 and the lower surface 3, the non-cutting region is capable ofappropriately exhibiting the function as the minor cutting edge 52.

The cutting process of the workpiece 100 using the major cutting edge 51and the minor cutting edge 52 is performed by rotating the cutting tool20 having the foregoing configurations in the arrowed I direction aroundthe rotation axis S2 of the holder 10.

<Method of Producing Machined Product>

A method of producing a machined product according to an embodiment ofthe present invention is described below with reference to FIG. 11.

Firstly, the cutting tool 20 with the plurality of inserts attached tothe holder 10 as described above is prepared before starting the cuttingprocess of the workpiece 100. As shown in FIG. 11, the cutting tool 20is disposed so that the rotation axis S2 of the holder 10 isapproximately parallel to a surface of the workpiece 100 that is tobecome the wall surface 101 by being cut.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the workpiece 100 is fixed to, forexample, a bed for a milling machine (not shown), and the cutting tool20 is moved in an arrowed direction II so as to set an appropriate depthof cut.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the cutting tool 20 is fed (moved)in an arrowed direction III while rotating the cutting tool 20 aroundthe arrowed direction I around the rotation axis S2 of the holder 10.Consequently, the major cutting edge 51 is brought into contact with acircular arc shaped part of the workpiece 100 located forward in thefeed direction, thereby cutting a region according to the depth of cut.At this time, the plurality of inserts 1 sequentially enter a cuttingregion so as to perform cutting, so that circular arc lines (cuttingmarks) remain on the surface (bottom surface) of the workpiece 100.These circular arc shaped marks are then cut by the minor cutting edge52, resulting in a smooth surface.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the cutting tool 20 passes throughthe workpiece 100 and is then raised in an arrowed direction IV so as toseparate the cutting tool 20 from the workpiece 100.

Thus, the machined product 110 having the wall surface 101 and thefinished surface 102 is produced through the foregoing individual steps.That is, the method of producing the machined product according to thepresent embodiment includes the step of cutting in which the cuttingtool 20 is rotated so as to bring the individual inserts 1 into contactwith the workpiece 100, and the step of separating the cutting tool 20from the workpiece 100. These steps are sequentially performed toproduce the machined product 110.

When the cutting process is continuously performed, for example, it isrequired to repeat the steps shown in FIGS. 11(b) and 11(c) by bringingthe cutting edge 5 of the cutting tool 20 into contact with the sameportion or different portions of the workpiece 100, while keeping therotation of the cutting tool 20.

When the cutting edge 5 being used is worn, the cutting process may beperformed using the cutting edge 5 not yet being used by rotating theinsert 1 about the central axis S1, or by turning over the upper surface2 and the lower surface 3.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theforegoing embodiments but various changes and modifications can be madetherein without departing from the spirit or scope of the presentinvention.

For example, the cutting tool 20 being rotated is moved with respect tothe workpiece 100 in the foregoing embodiment. Alternatively, thecutting process may be performed by rotating the cutting tool 20 at apredetermined position, and by feeding the workpiece 100 with respect tothe cutting tool 20. Further, the foregoing embodiment has illustratedthe milling machine as a machine tool. Alternatively, the cuttingprocess may be performed by bringing the cutting tool 20 not beingrotated and the workpiece 100 being rotated into contact with eachother, as in the case of a lathe.

The minor cutting edge 52 has the straight line shape in the top view inthe foregoing embodiment. Alternatively, the minor cutting edge 52 maybe formed of three straight line portions in the top view. Specifically,a first straight line shaped part in a middle region is located mostoutward of the insert 1, and second and third straight line shaped partson both sides of the first straight line shaped part are respectivelyinclined inward as going away from the middle region. This configurationensures a large clearance between the third straight line shaped partspaced apart from the major cutting edge 51 (corner cutting edge 53) onthe upper surface 2 and the finished surface 102 of the workpiece 100when the insert 1 is attached to the holder 10 in a state that thesecond straight line shaped part close to the major cutting edge 51(corner cutting edge 53) is disposed along the finished surface 102 ofthe workpiece 100 and the upper surface 2 is oriented forward in therotation direction. This configuration also ensures a large clearancebetween the second straight line shaped part of the minor cutting edge52A close to the above-mentioned lower surface 3 configuredcorrespondingly to the upper surface 2 and the finished surface 102 ofthe workpiece 100. Hence, the contact between the finished surface 102and each of the second and third straight line shaped parts can besuppressed to enhance the surface accuracy of the finished surface 102of the workpiece 100.

Instead of the configuration of the foregoing embodiment, the uppersurface 2 may include a protruded surface that is located continuouslywith at least a part of the rake surface 8 and is inclined upward asgoing away from the major cutting edge 51. In this embodiment, a firstend portion 8 a of the rake surface 8 located away from the minorcutting edge 52 is preferably continuous with the flat surface 21 withthe protruded surface interposed therebetween. A second end portion 8 bof the rake surface 8 located close to the minor cutting edge ispreferably continuous with the flat surface 21. In another embodiment, aflat bottom portion may be disposed between the rake surface 8 and theprotruded surface. In this embodiment, the portion corresponding to theforegoing rake surface 8 and the flat surface 21 are preferablycontinuous with each other without disposing a portion inclined upward,such as the foregoing protruded surface, in a region of the uppersurface 2 located inside the minor cutting edge 52.

The concave part 41 f has the approximately constant width perpendicularto the thickness direction of the insert 1 in the side view in theforegoing embodiment. In another embodiment, the concave part 41 f mayhave the shape as shown in FIG. 12 in the side view. Specifically, asshown in FIG. 12, a concave part 41 f′ of this embodiment is located atan approximately middle part of the first side surface 41 in the sideview, and has a width w perpendicular to the thickness direction of theinsert 1. In this embodiment, short sides 411 of the concave part 41 f′are approximately parallel to the major cutting edges and 51A, and thewidth w is parallel to a straight line connecting both ends of each ofthe short sides 411. Further in this embodiment, the width w is narrowat positions close to the major cutting edges 51 and 51A, and is wide atpositions away from the major cutting edges 51 and 51A. Thisconfiguration ensures the following effect. That is, when the size ofthe insert 1 is increased, the insert 1 may be considerably deformed bythe force applied to the insert 1, for example, during the cuttingprocess. Consequently, the constraining parts 41 a 1, 41 a 2, 41 b 1,and 41 b 2 and the holder 10 cannot be sufficiently contacted with eachother, making it difficult to appropriately fix the insert 1 to theholder 10. However, with the configuration employing the concave part 41f′, the constraining parts 41 a 1, 41 a 2, 41 b 1, and 41 b 2respectively divided by the concave part 41 f′ can be relativelystrongly brought into contact with the holder 10 even when the insert 1is considerably deformed. The concave part 41 f′ is preferably narrowedat the positions close to the major cutting edges 51 and 51A. Thisconfiguration ensures retention of the strength of the major cuttingedges 51 and 51A. The portions of the constraining parts 41 a 1, 41 a 2,41 b 1, and 41 b 2, which are located on the circumference of theconcave part 41 f′ and located close to the major cutting edges 51 and51A, are particularly strongly brought into contact with the holder 10.It is therefore effective to make a modification to increase a contactlength of the portions subjected to the particularly strong contact.

1. A cutting insert, comprising: a first surface; a second surface; aside surface connected to each of the first surface and the secondsurface and sequentially comprising a first side surface, a corner sidesurface, and a second side surface; and an edge comprising, a first edgelocated at an intersecting part of the first surface and the first sidesurface and inclined toward the second surface as going away from thecorner edge, and a corner edge located at an intersecting part of thefirst surface and the corner side surface; wherein the first surfacesequentially comprises a first inclined surface and a second inclinedsurface, the first inclined surface being located along the edge andinclined toward the second surface as going inward from the edge at afirst angle on a basis of a perpendicular plane perpendicular to acentral axis extending between the first surface and the second surface,the second inclined surface being located more inward than the firstinclined surface and inclined toward the second surface at a secondangle different from the first angle on the basis of the perpendicularplane, and the first angle of the first inclined surface and the secondangle of the second inclined surface have region in which a reversal ofvalues of the first angle and the second angle occurs between a side ofthe corner edge and a side of the first edge.
 2. The cutting insertaccording to claim 1, wherein an intersecting part between the firstinclined surface and the second inclined surface comprises a first partlocated at a highest position in a region of the intersecting partextending along the second side surface.
 3. The cutting insert accordingto claim 2, wherein the first part is located closer to the corner sidesurface than a midpoint of the second side surface in a top view.
 4. Thecutting insert according to claim 1, wherein the second angle of thesecond inclined surface is decreased as going from the corner edge tothe first edge side.
 5. The cutting insert according to claim 1, whereinthe first angle of the first inclined surface is subject to lessvariation than the second angle of the second inclined surface in aregion extending from the first side surface to the corner side surface.6. (canceled)
 7. The cutting insert according to claim 1, wherein thefirst surface further comprises a land surface located between the edgeand the first inclined surface.
 8. The cutting insert according to claim7, wherein the land surface is inclined at a land angle on the basis ofthe perpendicular plane, and the land angle is smaller than the firstangle of the first inclined surface.
 9. The cutting insert according toclaim 1, wherein the edge further comprises a second edge located at anintersecting part of the first surface and the second side surface, andthe second edge is inclined toward the second surface as going away fromthe corner edge in a side view.
 10. The cutting insert according toclaim 1, wherein the first side surface comprises a first surfaceportion along the first edge, and the first surface portion is inclinedoutward on as going to away from the first cutting edge.
 11. (canceled)12. (canceled)
 13. (canceled)
 14. A cutting insert, comprising: a firstsurface; a second surface; a side surface connected to each of the firstsurface and the second surface and sequentially comprising a first sidesurface, a corner side surface, and a second side surface; and an edgecomprising, a first edge located at an intersecting part of the firstsurface and the first side surface and inclined toward the secondsurface as going away from the corner edge, and a corner edge located atan intersecting part of the first surface and the corner side surface;wherein the first surface sequentially comprises a first inclinedsurface and a second inclined surface, the first inclined surface beinglocated along the edge and inclined toward the second surface as goinginward from the edge at a first angle on a basis of a perpendicularplane perpendicular to a central axis extending between the firstsurface and the second surface, the second inclined surface beinglocated more inward than the first inclined surface and inclined towardthe second surface at a second angle different from the first angle onthe basis of the perpendicular plane, and the inclined surface comprisesa first region and a second region being located farther away from thecorner edge than the first region, the first angle is smaller than thesecond angle at the first region, and the first angle is larger than thesecond angle at the second region.
 15. The cutting insert according toclaim 14, wherein an intersecting part between the first inclinedsurface and the second inclined surface comprises a first part locatedat a highest position in a region of the intersecting part extendingalong the second side surface.
 16. The cutting insert according to claim15, wherein the first part is located closer to the corner side surfacethan a midpoint of the second side surface in a top view.
 17. Thecutting insert according to claim 14, wherein the second angle of thesecond inclined surface is decreased as going from the corner edge tothe first edge side.
 18. The cutting insert according to claim 14,wherein the first angle of the first inclined surface is subject to lessvariation than the second angle of the second inclined surface in aregion extending from the first side surface to the corner side surface.19. The cutting insert according to claim 14, wherein the first surfacefurther comprises a land surface located between the edge and the firstinclined surface.
 20. The cutting insert according to claim 19, whereinthe land surface is inclined at a land angle on the basis of theperpendicular plane, and the land angle is smaller than the first angleof the first inclined surface.
 21. The cutting insert according to claim14, wherein the first side surface comprises a first surface portionalong the first edge, the first surface portion is inclined outward onas going to away from the first cutting edge.
 22. The cutting insertaccording to claim 14, wherein The edge further comprises a second edgelocated at an intersecting part of the first surface and the second sidesurface, and the second edge is inclined toward the second surface asgoing away from the corner edge in a side view.
 23. A cutting tool,comprising: a cutting insert according to claim 1; and a holderconfigured to attach the cutting insert to the holder.
 24. A method ofproducing a machined product, comprising: rotating a cutting toolaccording to claim 23; bringing the edge of the cutting tool beingrotated into contact with a workpiece; and separating the cutting toolfrom the workpiece.